Thomas Dooley: Five men get life sentences for graveyard murder

The five men who were given mandatory life sentences included the victim’s younger brother, Patrick Dooley.

The 36-year-old is from Arbutus Grove in Killarney, County Kerry.

The killers also included a father and son – Thomas Dooley senior and Thomas Dooley junior, both of Bay 10, Halting Site, Carrigrohane Road, Cork.

The others were Michael Dooley of Bay 11 in the same halting site and 42-year-old Daniel Dooley, of An Carraigín, Connolly Park in Tralee.

Michael and Daniel Dooley were cousins of the victim.

The judge, Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring, described the violence the gang used against him as totally unwarranted and unspeakable.

Thomas Dooley junior, who is now 21, was a teenager at the time of the murder.

He had been in a relationship with one of the couple’s daughters, but she refused to marry him and called it off.

During the trial, the prosecution alleged the killers took offence at this and Mr Dooley was later murdered in what was described as an honour killing.

In addition to the murder charge, Thomas Dooley junior was also found guilty of assaulting Siobhan Dooley, who suffered a deep wound during the attack.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mrs Dooley said: “What happened in the graveyard that day will have a lasting impact on me.”

She added: “The way he was murdered is a death nobody deserves, certainly not my Thomas.”

Thomas Dooley junior was further sentenced to four and a half years in jail for assaulting her, a term which is to be served concurrently with his life sentence.